Archive for January, 2007

This entry is from Part #3 of the 7 Deadly Mistakes Exhibitors Make When Purchasing Promotional Products For Trade Shows – “Forgetting Existing Customers”

The first time we worked a show it was pretty simple. We focused primarily on acquiring new business. The challenge came next year when we worked the same show or when we worked another show in the same industry. How would I decipher between existing customers, prospects from other shows, and new prospects.

Here’s what I did. I sent all the existing customers we acquired from the past shows a bright yellow lanyard with a laminated V.I.P. badge. I wanted them to be seen from a mile away. The badge had an invitation to our booth with our booth # and a picture of the gift they would receive.

I informed the staff to look for these lanyards and at all cost and to make sure they were recognized and attended to. My salespeople were also required to call them and invite them to stop by the booth.

If we were talking to a “trick or treater”, we knew to move them along and greet our V.I.P’s. What’s more, I instructed my co-workers that we must make contact within 3 minutes – even if it meant greeting them and telling them that we’d be with them in a moment in order to finish up with who we were talking to.

Every existing customer with a yellow lanyard was to be introduced to me (the president) and I would personally thank him or her for his or her business. We would give them a gift or two, take care of everyone they were with, and make sure they knew before they left that we appreciated their business.

In truth, I must admit that we did send a lot of lanyards out to people who never made the show, or showed up without wearing it. But, consider this – they all knew we cared.